Letter: 'Obamacare' imperils our religious freedom

'Obamacare' imperils our religious freedom

In regard to the Affordable Care Act, there is the issue of women's rights versus religious liberty. As a woman and a former Catholic school employee for 23 years, I know this to be true: this health care mandate is an outright assault on religious freedom. With the implementation of roughly 2,700 pages of legislation (not read by our representatives prior to passing), faith-based institutions are forced to comply with government regulations that go against the tenets of the faith, or face major consequences.During all my years in the Catholic school system, there was no war on me. Here's the freedom I did have: the freedom to send my resume anywhere; to accept an interview or decline; to accept a job offer or reject one. I freely chose to place myself in Catholic schools. I was never a victim of anything. What freedom did these Catholic schools have? The freedom to shape their identity based on the core beliefs of the faith. It was my obligation to understand what they stood for as their employee. Freedom needs to work both ways. There is never true freedom when in order to gain what one desires, we gladly strip away the fundamental rights of another human being.The true American ideals are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (to the exclusion of no one). With this bill, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has control to make unilateral decisions. Thus, in the attempt to provide health insurance for all on the one hand, the sanctity of life and liberty are completely destroyed on the other. Therefore, should "Obamacare" move forward, it ultimately results in America's self-destruction.Kathryn MissertCheektowaga